The Centre on Monday notified the appointment of three Chief Justices of high courts as judges of the Supreme Court of India.
According to the notification issued by the Department of Justice, the three judges appointed to the Supreme Court are Justice Sunita Agarwal, Chief Justice of the Gujarat high court; Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, Chief Justice of the Delhi high court; and Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, Chief Justice of the Telangana high court.
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The appointments, made by the President of India in exercise of the powers conferred under the Constitution of India, will strengthen the top court, which has a sanctioned strength of 38.
Their appointments come days after the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, recommended their elevation at its meeting held on September 28.
{{/usCountry}}Their appointments come days after the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, recommended their elevation at its meeting held on September 28.
{{/usCountry}}The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the three names on September 28. With the apex court currently having a working strength of 34 judges, the appointments will take its effective strength to 37 once the new judges take oath.
The Supreme Court has a sanctioned strength of 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India. The sanctioned strength was recently increased from 34 following the Supreme Court Amendment Act, 2026.
About the newly-appointed judges
Justice Sunita Agarwal
Sunita Agarwal will be the third woman judge currently serving on the Supreme Court following her appointment. She was elevated to the Allahabad High Court in 2011 and became a permanent judge in 2013. She took oath as Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court in July 2023.
Justice Agarwal practised on the civil side before her elevation to the Bench and enrolled as an advocate in 1990.
Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya
Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, who has been heading the Delhi High Court since January 2025, will also move to the Supreme Court. He previously served as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, assuming office in July 2023.
Justice Upadhyaya was elevated to the Allahabad High Court in 2011 and became a permanent judge in August 2013. Before his elevation to the Bench, he served as Chief Standing Counsel for the State of Uttar Pradesh.
Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh
Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh brings extensive judicial experience from Jharkhand, Tripura and Telangana. He was elevated as a judge of the Jharkhand High Court in January 2012 and was confirmed as a permanent judge in January 2014.
(With ANI inputs)